1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for vulcanizing a pneumatic vehicle tire, the tire beads of which, in a mounted state, are disposed on the radially inner periphery of a wheel rim. A tire blank "raw" tire or "green tire", with the tire beads being displaced laterally outwardly, is vulcanized using a heating press that is provided with conventional mold parts for the outer areas of the tire blank, two axially displaceable contour rings to form the inner regions of the tire beads, and a heating bellows.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus for vulcanizing tires of the aforementioned type in a position where the tire beads are displaced laterally outwardly is described in German Offenlegungsschrift 32 42 241 Huinink et al dated May 17, 1984 and belonging to the assignee of the present invention. This heretofore known apparatus is provided with two plates that are secured on a guide rod or on a tube and are movable relative to one another in the axial direction. The radially and axially outer rims of these plates are embodied in such a way that they permit a metallically smooth forming of the inner surface of the tire in the bead region. On the sides thereof that face one another, the two plates are provided with clamping rings for fixing the rims of the heating bellows, and the plates are configured in the radial direction in such a way that, in the moved-together state and radially inwardly of the clamping rings, the plates form an inner space that is large enough to accompany the heating bellows in a non-pressurized state thereof.
However, such a construction of a vulcanizing mold in principle has the drawback that due to the relatively great axial dimension of the moved-together plates, it is more difficult to mount a tire blank ("raw" tire/"green tire") or to remove the finished tire after vulcanization. A further weak point is the small inner space between the moved-together contour rings, resulting in the danger that the non-pressurized heating bellows cannot completely enter the inner space and can then be pinched when the plates are moved together. Even when the heating bellows does completely enter the inner space, it is folded or creased to such a great extent that this also can lead to a reduction of its service life.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for vulcanizing pneumatic vehicle tires of the aforementioned type, where the indicated danger to the heating bellows is eliminated, and introduction of the tire blank, "raw" tire or "green tire" is facilitated.